


Flash back

by NYWCgirl



Series: Comfortember 2020 [17]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, CaringJack, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Flashbacks, Gen, HurtMac, Kidnapping, Team as Family, Torture, taking care of each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:41:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27601550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NYWCgirl/pseuds/NYWCgirl
Summary: Mac is rescued but that doens’t mean everything is alright.
Series: Comfortember 2020 [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1995160
Comments: 9
Kudos: 28
Collections: Comfortember 2020, Hurt/Comfort Bingo - Round 11





	Flash back

**Author's Note:**

> this fic was written for comfortember prompt nr. 17. And fills the ‘flashbacks’ square on my H/C Bingo card.

Jack is the first to enter the basement and find his kid. Mac is filthy, bloody and bruised to hell, his eyes are dull, but he is conscious, so Jack counts it as a win.

‘Hey kid, ready to go?’

Mac only nods.

They fly back and Mac willingly lets himself be lead to medical. It should have alarmed Jack, but he is just too happy to have Mac back. The kid is discharged two hours later, his bruises will heal by themselves, the scrapes and abrasions are cleaned and bandaged and the tox screen came back clear. They were lucky. Mac is sitting on the examination table, someone tried to clean him up, but his hair is still filthy.

‘Hey kid, they didn´t clean you up, hum?’

‘No, I told him I would do it at home.’

‘Fair enough.’

Mac is quiet on the drive home, but Jack chucks it up at exhaustion. When they arrive home, Mac lets himself fall on the couch, clearly done for the day.

‘Do you want take-out? Bozer won´t be back until tomorrow.’

‘Chinese sounds good.’

‘Chinese food it is.’

Jack orders the take-out and Mac settles on the couch with a blanket. When Jack walks back in, Mac is fast asleep, cocooned in the blanket. Jack can only hope he doesn´t have any nightmares about his ordeal. He calls the restaurant, asking to postpone the delivery with an hour. He then takes a seat close to Mac so he will be there when he needs comfort. Turning on the TV, he relaxes.

An hour later, the doorbell rings and Jack is happy to notice Mac hasn´t moved, so hopefully he didn´t have any nightmares. He answers the door, pays for the food and returns, where Mac is still out.

‘Hey kid, wake up, food arrived.’

He gently shakes Mac but Mac starts anyway.

‘It’s OK kid, you are home, safe and sound.’

Mac sits up, yawning, eyeing the food, ‘smells delicious.’

‘Well, eat! I am going to get some sodas.’

Mac practically inhales his food, which makes Jack chuckle.

‘So Mac, why don´t we go into the bathroom and get you into the shower, I…’

He stops talking but he can´t hold back the face he is making.

‘I reek, don´t I?’

‘Yeah, pretty badly.’

‘Yeah I… I will…’

‘Look, if you are not comfortable with a shower, I can draw you a bath, put in some bubbles…’

‘yeah, that sounds nice.’

‘One bath coming up.’

Jack goes into the bathroom, drawing a bath, putting in bubbles and putting out soft towels which he hangs from the heater, so they will be warm when Mac comes out.

‘Mac, the bath is ready!’

When Mac doesn´t immediately responds, Jack walks back to the living room, to see that Mac is stiff and slowly trying to extract himself from the couch. He smiles sheepishly.

‘Maybe the couch wasn´t such a good idea after all.’

‘No worries, here, let me help you.’

Jack slowly pulls Mac up and guides him into the bathroom, where he helps Mac undress. Serving together has taken away any sense of shame, so Mac lets himself be maneuvered into the bathtub.

‘You will need to help me get out again, Jack.’

‘I know, don´t worry, just relax and enjoy the warm water, let it relax your muscles, do you want some music?’

‘No, I’m fine, I’ll holler if I need anything.’

* * *

When Mac doesn´t holler, Jack checks on Mac, the water must be cooling so…

‘Hey Mac, how are you doing in there?’

When he doesn´t get a response, Jack enters the room, expecting the worst, but Mac is just laying backwards with his head on a towel, eyes closed, he must have fallen asleep. Once again Jack wakes Mac, who scrambles up embarrassed.

‘I just don´t want you to catch pneumonia because he fell asleep in cold bathwater, hoss.’

‘you don´t get pneumonia that way Jack.’

‘Whatever, do you need help washing your hair?’

‘That would be nice.’

Jack drains some water, replacing it with warm water and takes the bottle of shampoo. Mac always had the expensive brands, which makes sense in a way, since his hair is a lot longer than his. OK. Sit up and close your eyes, I don´t want to get soap in your eyes. Mac does as he is told and Jack takes the shower head to wet Mac’s hear.

What he doesn´t expect is Mac’s reaction to the spray. Mac starts trembling and his breathing picks up but he seems frozen in place. He can feel the tension, coiling in Mac’s body.

‘Mac, kid? What is happening? Talk to me! Mac!’

Mac doesn’t say anything but he is getting pale like all the blood is draining from his face. Jack immediately turns off the shower.

‘Mac? It’s OK, relax, you are at home in the shower, you are not there anymore.’

All of a sudden, mac jumps up, almost face planting because the bathwater makes everything slippery. He jumps out of the tub and Jack holds his hands out to show he doesn´t plan anything.

‘Mac, you had a flash back. You are home, safe. It’s me, Mac, Jack.’

Mac is still shaking and gulping for air but he nods that he understands Jack. Jack slowly takes one of the warm towels and drapes them over Mac.

‘You’re OK Mac, everything is going to be OK.’

Mac nods, but it is clear he is still processing what is happening, so Jack gives him time and space.

‘I… I’m sorry.’

‘Nothing to be sorry about kid. These things happen. We will try again tomorrow. You did good. Let’s get you dressed.’

Jack quickly takes the sweat pants and one of his T-shirts and dresses Mac. He slowly takes him to his room, where he changed the linens and tucks Mac in.

‘Rest kid, everything is going to be alright and I will take care of you.’

‘I was there, all of a sudden, I was there. They were pouring…’

‘I know kid, you had a flash back. It is part of the process of coping with what happened. Don’t worry about it. It is not real.’

Mac’s eyes are slowly drooping and Jack wants to leave the room to give Mac his space.

‘Stay. Please.’

‘Of course, wait let me change.’

Jack quickly changes and lays down next to Mac, who immediately curls up to him.

‘It’s OK Mac, I am here. Sleep.’


End file.
